WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement after Republicans announced the schedule for next week would include the 40th vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

"It is unfortunate that the Republican Majority has decided to waste the American people’s time by scheduling another vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This will be the 40th such vote since health reform was enacted and began the process of slowing the growth of health care spending, ending insurance company discrimination against women and those with pre-existing conditions, and establishing health insurance exchanges to offer consumers a range of affordable choices for quality coverage plans.

"With only a week before Congress is scheduled to leave for the August district work period, it is disheartening that Republicans are obsessed with repeating this partisan assault on health reform when our country is facing pressing challenges that merit lawmakers’ immediate attention. Every day wasted on yet another repeal bill that will never be taken up by the Senate, much less survive a presidential veto, is another day that could have been spent advancing legislation to create jobs for the middle-class, negotiating a balanced and bipartisan approach to deficits that can end the painful budget sequester, or debating a path forward on immigration reform. I urge Republican leaders to abandon this unhealthy fixation on repeal and instead work together with Democrats to tackle the major challenges of our day.”